Geologist? Retail manager? A look at the unique resumes of US presidents

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Dive Brief:

The Oval Office has been the workplace of those who wore many hats: police officer, farmer, actor, college professor and geologist. The job list for U.S. presidents gets even longer and more varied; officeholders of the most powerful seat in the world have had careers as diverse as any found among U.S. workers, according to CareerCast.

It might be surprising to know that Theodore Roosevelt was a police commissioner; Herbert Hoover, a geologist; Harry Truman, a retail manager; Jimmy Carter, a farmer; and Ronald Reagan, a screen actor. Lyndon Johnson was a teacher; Woodrow Wilson, a university professor; Barack Obama, a community organizer; and George W. Bush, a corporate executive.

History has shown that legal and military backgrounds have led presidential candidates to the White House. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Obama and Bill Clinton were attorneys while in office. Dwight Eisenhower, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt had successful military careers before they became president.

Dive Insight:

Even those among us who aren't history buffs can appreciate the sheer variety of perspectives that past (and present) leaders brought with them to public office. The list is, after all, applicable to what recruiters do everyday; it just goes to show that a job candidate whose resume includes “hair stylist” as a previous position should not automatically be ruled out for a bookkeeper opening.

Keeping an eye out for candidates of different backgrounds is often seen as away to encourage diversity in the workplace. Such candidates might also offer new solutions in addition to creativity and passion, which could obviously be valuable assets for any organization.